


Osynlig

by Sneakend



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, IKEA, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27993732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sneakend/pseuds/Sneakend
Summary: "We can't detain strangers in IKEA, that'd be a human rights violation."
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 14
Kudos: 110
Collections: One Piece Bingo 2020/2021





	Osynlig

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the One Piece Bingo on Tumblr (for the prompt "soulmates")

IKEA is what Law imagines literal hell to be like. Especially at this time of the evening when it's packed full of people who have had the same bright idea as him — to spend their few precious free hours between work and sleep wandering around the endless Swedish maze making impulse purchases. 

He can't imagine who'd subject themselves to this voluntarily, would not even be here if he wasn't in an urgent need for a guest bed or a sofa bed, or even a damn carpet soft enough to function as a temporary bed. At this point, he doesn't care anymore. If he's going to have to make Cora-san sleep on the floor then so be it. Or what's more likely, Law's going to take one look into his big, sad eyes, offer up his own bed and end up on the floor himself. Still, even the potential back pain is starting to sound more inviting than dodging screeching snot-nosed kids and trying to memorize words like Äppelviken and Mörbylånga. 

He's close to giving up and relocating his search online, something he should've done in the first place. He's pretty sure there's no store that doesn't do home deliveries in this day and age. However, fate has other plans for him. Just as he turns to search for the quickest exit, his gaze falls on a man sleeping in a bed in one of the model rooms, seemingly unbothered by all the racket around him. His arm is slung over his face, perhaps in an attempt to block out the brightness of the fluorescent lights, which leaves his bare and well-shaped forearm in full view of anyone walking by. 

Usually, Law wouldn't waste his time on giving a shit beyond disapproving silently. Much as he'd like to follow the man's example and take a nap himself he's got more social awareness and simple manners than to do it in a place like this. Yet, the gay in him doesn't let him pass by without admiring the man's physique. He's heard men marvel at the fact that straight women often seem to have a borderline fetish for men's forearms but Law can attest to the sexiness of said body part. 

That's why it doesn't take long for his eyes to register the soulmark on the man's skin. The mark that is identical to Law's own. He stops in his tracks, someone behind him bumping into him and barking an insult at him, not that Law pays any mind to her. There are more pressing issues at hand. He looks down at his own forearm and feels foolish - as if he'd need to verify what's there, he's only been looking at it every day since he was born. 

Like most people, his mark doesn't have any identifiable meaning. It simply depicts three lines parallel to each other, nearly identical in length. There are many that try to find a deeper meaning in their markings, numerous charlatans who make business offering to find it for them. Law's never been too bothered about such things although he's had people point out that it reminds them of the kanji for river or number three, neither of which hold any special meaning to him. 

He knows he's going to have to make a decision quickly and thanks his lucky stars that the other man is dead to the world. The last thing he needs is the complication of someone else's feelings. He dreads the mere thought of some open display so beloved by romcom writers where the two soulmates rush towards each other immediately upon noting their matching marks and melt into a heated embrace. 

He does the easiest thing — moves on. If he plans to make it home in time to sleep before his next shift he can't waste time on something like this. Yet, as he takes a step, then another, they feel heavier than before, as if he's fighting fate itself and letting chance pass him by. That's ridiculous, he knows, and so he picks up pace, determined to put this all behind him, romance and this cursed store with its soulless displays. 

He finds a convenient shortcut and makes his way downstairs where he heads towards the section for picking up the boxes containing the parts for furniture. He's going to pick the first thing he's written on the notepaper he picked up earlier, Råvaror or Espevär or whatever the fuck, and make his escape. 

He makes it quite far, too, past the stacks of the candles scented like rhubarb and elderflower, almost through the forest of affordable houseplants, before he's stopped by a small hand gripping the hem of his shirt. 

"Hey! Hey, wait up!" the stranger calls to him. 

Reluctantly, Law turns to look over his shoulder. "What do you want?"

The stranger, a boy with black hair, grins widely ar him. "I saw your arm."

"And?"

"Zoro has the same mark," the stranger says as if he's talking about a public figure that everyone knows. 

"Good for him," Law replies, not eager to put a name to the face — well, a sexy forearm covering the face — he'd seen before. "Now let me go."

"If you wait, he'll come down here! He's probably lost though," the intrusive boy says, shuffling his feet which, Law notices to his dismay, are clad in mismatched Crocs. 

"I really don't have time for this," Law says with a shake of his head. 

"Nami! Nami! Nami!" the stranger starts chanting a name like a spell. 

A woman with bright orange hair and a shopping bag full of knick-knacks appears with a long-suffering look on her face. "What in hell, Luffy? Are you bothering strangers again?"

"No," Luffy answers at the same time Law snaps out, "Yes."

Nami gives Law an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, he likes making friends."

"Nami, he's," Luffy lowers his voice to the loudest stage whisper ever intoned, "Zoro's soulmate."

Law wishes the floor would swallow him as Nami turns a calculating look towards him. Her gaze settles on his arm and Law curses himself for having taken off his hoodie earlier on. 

She proves to be more tactful than her companion though. "It's not really our place to do anything about it, Luffy."

"But Zoro would want to know," Luffy pouts and seems to regress about ten years in age. 

"Then we'll tell him. But we can't detain strangers in IKEA, that'd be a human rights violation."

"Can we ask his name?" Luffy asks as if Law isn't standing right there. 

Nami shoots Law a look that seems to say _get away while you can_ before turning back to Luffy to explain something about privacy and manners. Law takes the opportunity and flees, optimistic that he'll be protected from detection if he mingles with the crowd. 

Quickly, he finds his bed, admittedly no longer sure what exactly he's purchasing but he's ready to be surprised when he opens the box at home. As long as he gets home it doesn't matter if the box contains a goddamn crib. 

The self-checkout is almost within his sight, freedom so close he can taste is, and then he walks into a wall. No, it's not a wall, just a man made of hard muscle and Law's bent down far enough to be face to face with the man's impressive chest. This is a detail he's failed to appreciate earlier when his attention had been stolen by the forearm, damn him, because this is the same man, the man with the audacity to come to a furniture store only to take a nap and inconvenience Law's whole life. 

"You okay?" he — his name's Zoro, Law reminds himself — asks in a low voice that makes Law's insides turn to jelly. 

"No," he answers truthfully, adding no further elaboration. 

This seems to baffle Zoro because he simply blinks back at Law who's fighting the impulse to just get the whole thing over with and shove his arm into Zoro's face as way of explanation. 

"Zoro!" Luffy's voice echoes loudly even over the chatter of the people around them, saving Law from having to make any decisions himself. "He's your—“

Nami slaps her hand across Luffy's mouth with enough force to leave a mark. "Zoro, I see you finally found your way downstairs."

Zoro gives her and Luffy a confused look. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Nami says with a smile. 

An awkward silence ensues. Law may have been ready to leave when the other man had been oblivious to his existence but to do that now would undoubtedly seem like rejection. Having to think about other people's feelings really is such a bother. However, there's absolutely zero chance that Luffy wouldn't take the first opportunity to reveal his secret to Zoro and Law doesn't want to be responsible for any hurt feelings. If nothing else, he might get some sex out of this. And perhaps help with assembling his new furniture. 

He takes a deep breath and lifts his arm in front of Zoro. "Sorry for the inconvenience."

Zoro gives him a sober look and takes ahold of his arm, pulling it closer for inspection. All Law can focus on are those calloused fingers dragging across his skin, sending shivers down his spine. 

"Soulmates, huh," Zoro says thoughtfully. 

Their eyes lock and Law finds himself unable to look away. Zoro doesn't let go of his arm either, they both just stand there, frozen in time as the clueless shoppers mill about around them. 

The moment is broken by a loud shutter sound from Nami's phone. As they both turn to look at her she gives them a sheepish smile. "You'll thank me later."

For all that she's scolded Luffy for his lack of boundaries, she doesn't seem to mind trampling all over them herself. 

"Do _not_ post that anywhere," Law warns her. 

Nami bats her eyelashes at him innocently. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"She has over ten thousand followers on Snapgram," Luffy offers, and Law wonders if that's his idea of being helpful. All it does is make him picture the horrors of unexpectedly becoming Internet famous. 

"Over eighty thousand!" Nami corrects him. 

Zoro raises an eyebrow at that. "Did you buy followers?"

He isn't looking at Law anymore, but his hand is still curled around Law's forearm, one finger stroking over the mark absentmindedly. Usually, Law'd be pulling away, probably hurling a few choice insults at a stranger that dared to touch him. He's always been averse to physical touch unless it comes from the few people he's deemed trustworthy. Yet somehow Zoro's touch leaves him craving more rather than wanting to flee. It feels good, comforting as if there's an established bond between them. The repetitive movement lulls Law into a kind of trance, the sound and colors around him fading into the background. He feels like at any moment he might fall asleep on his feet. 

He's only pulled back into reality when Nami repeatedly snaps her fingers in front of his face. "Hello?"

"What?" He glowers at her. 

"We're leaving unless you want to spend the night in here."

"There are lots of beds upstairs, we could all stay!" Luffy suggests and whether he's being serious is anyone's guess. 

"Well, then go, I'm not stopping you," Law tells her.

Nami gives him a look that makes it obvious she thinks he's an idiot. "Zoro came with us, are you gonna let him go?"

Law realizes that at some point he's intertwined his fingers with Zoro's and is holding on quite tight. He turns to look at Zoro, ready to disengage but the expression on the man's face makes him reconsider. 

"I don't think so," is what he ends up saying. 

"Excuse me?"

"You heard him," Zoro grunts at Nami.

"But Zoro, how will you find back home? You'll get lost and die," Luffy says, looking genuinely worried.

Zoro frowns at him. "I'm not that stupid!"

"But you are!"

"I'll make sure he makes it home in one piece," Law promises, not willing to entertain a squabble that could go on all evening.

"Whose home is that, I wonder?" Nami takes the opportunity to ask in a sarky tone.

"That's none of your business."

Nami gives a dramatic sigh before turning on her heels. "Come on, Luffy. I'll buy you a hot dog if you carry everything to the car."

That's enough to shift Luffy's attention. "I want ten!"

"I'm not made of money, you know," Nami complains. She could've fooled Law though, she's managed to stuff her bright IKEA bag so full of stuff it's a wonder the bag has't split in half. 

They watch as Zoro's companions make their way out and Zoro turns to address Law. "So, your place or mine?"

"Mine, obviously. We've got a sofa bed to assemble."


End file.
